This application claims the priority of German patent 198 29 755.6, filed Jul. 3, 1998, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.
The invention relates to an air bag system for a motor vehicle, particularly in a steering wheel of a vehicle interior, having a cushioning arrangement, which extends at least over an outlet opening for an air bag unit, faces a vehicle interior and has at least one tear flap defined by a tear contour for exposing the outlet opening during an expansion of an air bag of the air bag unit.
Such an air bag system is generally known for passenger cars. The air bag system is integrated particularly in a steering wheel of the passenger car. However, in the same manner, such an air bag system is provided also in a front passenger area of a passenger car. An outlet opening of an air bag unit of the air bag system is provided on an exterior side facing the vehicle interior with a cushioning arrangement which has at least one tear contour at the level of the outlet opening for an air bag. In the event of a sudden expansion of the air bag, the cushioning arrangement is destroyed along the tear contour and the outlet opening for the expansion of the air bag is exposed.
It is an object of the invention to provide an air bag system of the initially mentioned type which, despite safety-related requirements, can be designed with an attractive appearance in the vehicle interior.
This object is achieved in that a surface of the cushioning arrangement facing the vehicle interior is covered at least partially by a thin-walled sheet metal bar unit which is fixedly connected with the surface of the cushioning arrangement and which, in the area of side edges of the cushioning arrangement as well as in the area of the at least one tear contour, is provided with at least one turned-in edge formed to the inside toward the cushioning arrangement. Particularly when the air bag system is inserted in a steering wheel, it is possible by means of the solution according to the invention to achieve for the steering wheel the impression of a metal-spoke steering wheel, and to nevertheless meet the corresponding safety requirements for today's motor vehicles. However, corresponding design-related impressions can also be achieved for a front passenger side of a center console area of the vehicle interior in that the sheet metal bar unit covers a corresponding cushioning arrangement in the center console area at the level of a front passenger air bag unit. The inwardly formed turned-in edge of the cushioning arrangement ensures that the corresponding cut edges of the sheet metal bar unit are led away from the visible surface and can therefore represent no risks of injury to the vehicle occupants. This is particularly advantageous in the event of a head impact onto the steering wheel or onto the front-passenger-side center console area. The sheet metal bar unit may be designed in one piece or consist of several pieces, as a function of the surface area of the cushioning arrangement to be covered, which may also be divided in the tear area. The tear contours may be provided on the underside of the cushioning arrangement so that they are invisible in the direction of the surface. The inwardly formed turned-in edge is advantageously at least partially embedded in the cushioning arrangement.
As a further development of the invention, the sheet metal bar unit is connected by way of at least one fastening link with a carrier arrangement for the air bag unit. This further improves the fastening of the sheet metal bar unit on the air bag system so that a tearing-off of the cushioning arrangement as well as of the sheet metal bar unit is reliably avoided during an expansion operation of the air bag system.
In a further development of the invention, the sheet metal bar unit is flatly connected with the cushioning arrangement, particularly by welding, by a spraying process or by gluing. This reliably avoids a detachment of the sheet metal bar unit from the cushioning arrangement.
In a further development of the invention, the at least one turned-in edge of the sheet metal bar unit reaches in the area of the side edges at least in sections in a form-locking manner around the side edges. This further improves the safety with respect to a detachment of the sheet metal bar unit from the cushioning arrangement.
In a further development of the invention, the at least one tear flap is covered at least partially by a medal fixedly connected with the tear flap and/or the sheet metal bar unit. A manufacturer's emblem can be mounted on this medal. The medal is designed as a plate or disk and may preferably have a round, oval or polygonal shape.
In a further development of the invention, the medal is dimensioned such that it covers the tear contour. As a result, the tear contour is arranged in an invisible manner, whereby the whole cushioning arrangement of the air bag system has an aesthetically attractive design.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.